Music-rack.



PATENTED SEPT. 8', 1905.

J. J. NEUMANN. MUSIC RACK.

APPLIOATIOI rnnn rnvnpmos,

10 MODEL.

fPatented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JULlUS J. NEUMANN, OF CHICAGO, lLLlNOIS.

MUSIC-RACK.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 738,473, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed February 17,1903. $erial No. 143,368. (No model.)

To a, whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS J. NEUMANN, a resident of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Music-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in music racks or devices of that character which are variously employed for holding sheet-music, m usic-books, matter to be copied, &c., and variously designated in usic-racks, music-holders, copy-holders, and sheetholders, depending upon the particular f unction for which the device is intended.

Among the principal objects of the present invention are to provide a holder having a back 01' base member with which are arranged to cooperate a plurality of spring-fingers operable independently of each other and each provided with a terminal presser member which is free to adjust itself to the book or sheet held and each of which pressers engage the article held at at least two points, to provide a simple construction embodying the above'mentioned characteristics which may be very economically manufactured and is at the same time both light and strong, to provide a device which is symmetrical in its construction and more or less ornamental, and in general to provide a simple and improved device of the character referred to.

To the above ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended the lower end of the back member 1, at laterclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the holder, showing a book arranged therein and the base member or back of the holder outlined in dotted lines in rear of the book. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole the back or base member, which is desirably of skeleton construction and has the general outline of a lyre, this form being both ornamental and affording a suitable base or back-support against which the book or sheet may rest. The lower end of the back member is rigidly united with a post or standard 2, which may be connected with any suitable socket or other holding device. Adjacent to ally opposite points, are provided two ears 3, which are turned up to stand in planes sub stantially at right angles to the plane of the back and form supports for a pintle-rod 4.

Upon the pintle-rod are pivoted a pair of presserfingers 5 of similar, but reverselyformed construction, each finger being provided with two ears, as indicated at 6 and '7, which stand parallel with each other and perpendicular to the pintle-rod and are apertured an d pivoted upon the latter. The base portion 8 of each fin ger, upon which the ears 6 and 7 are formed, is of a width equal to one-half the distance intervening between the supportingears 3 of the back member, so that when the two fingers are mounted upon the pintle-rod they fit and occupy the space between the said ears 3, and thus confine each other against lateral movement. Each finger is also provided with thumb-piece extensions 9, which extensions are preferably formed upon the contiguous margins of the fingers, so that they may be simultaneously acted upon.

Upon the acting end of each finger 5 is pivoted a presser-tip 10, which presser-tips constitute one of the most important features of the present invention. Each presser-tip is desirably made in the form of a bar, which is bowed upwardly or away from the base-plate between its ends and is pivotally connected with the end of the finger to oscillate upon an axis parallel with the plane of the base. Preferably also said presser-tips are reversely curved in plan, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, so that the uppermost ends engage the widest part of the back-plate, while the lower ends extend toward each other and engage the back-plate nearer the median line of the latter.

In order to hold the fingers in yielding engagement with the article to be held, each finger is provided with a coiled spring, (indicated at 11,) which coiled springs are conveniently mounted upon the pintle-rod, one end of each being connected with the back plate, as indicated at 12, and the other end arranged to act against the under side of the base or body portion of the corresponding finger, as indicated at 13.

As apreferred construction the back-plate, the fingers, and the presser-tips are all made out of sheet metal, struck into the desired forms by means of suitable dies IOO The use of the device is obvious; but it is to be particularly noted that the provision of the pivot presser-tip enables each finger to press firmly against the face of the back or leaf at two separated points and that the flexible or pivotal connection between the pressertip and the end of the finger enables the tip to accommodate itself exactly to the article held thereby. For example, if a book of considerable thickness be opened so that more of the leaves are turned to one side than to the other as, for example, as indicated in the figures-each half of the book will be held with equal security, and each half will be held at two distinctpoints,because the presser-tips accommodate themselves to the different planes relatively to the back-support, and if, owing to thestiffness of the leaves, the part of the book engaged by either presser-tip is curved the presser-tip nevertheless bears with equal pressure at both points it engages. It is to be noted also that the fingers may be made relatively long, thereby affording a relatively wide opening of jaws, while nevertheless the lower ends of the presser-tips engage the book or sheet near the lower edge of the latter. Furthermore, the fact that the presser-tips engage the book or sheet at points separated from each other at a relatively large distance both vertically and laterally insures the holding of the book with. great security. It should also be noted that when either of the fingers is pressed into open position the upper or outer end of the presser-tip will extend practically in alinement with or in extension of the finger, thus aiding in guiding the edge of the book underneath the finger, so that a relatively thick book may be inserted with the greatest facility.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the specific construction herein possesses peculiar advantages; but nevertheless it will be understood that the details of construction may be modified without departing from the broader scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. A holder of the general character described, comprisinga back-support, aspringpressed finger arranged to extend above and in the same general direction with said back support and cooperating therewith, and a presscr-tip pivoted between its ends upon the free end of said finger.

2. A holder of the general character described,com prisin g a plate-like back-support, a spring-pressed finger arranged to extend in a direction generally parallelwith, and above the back-support, and pivoted to move at its free end directly toward andfrom said backsupport, and a presser-tip having separated bearing-points and pivoted to the finger at a point between said bearing-points.

3. A holder of the general character described, comprising a back-support, a pair of cooperating spring pressed fingers, pivoted to the back-support on an axis parallel with the general plane of the back-support, to cooperate therewith jaw fashion, and a pressertip pivoted upon each finger, each pressertip being curved away from the plane of the back-support between its ends at its engaging side and pivoted to the finger between its ends.

4. In a holder of the general character described, the combination With a back-support, of a pair of spring-pressed fingers pivotally mounted upon said back and cooperating with the latter, each finger being provided with a pivoted presser-tip adapted to engage the article to be held at separated points, the pivotal axes of said presser-tips being arranged substantially parallel with the plane of the back-support.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a holder of the character described, comprising the sheet-metal back 1 provided with integral ears 3, the pintle-rod & extending through said ears, the sheet-metal presser-fingers 5 each provided with a pair of integral ears engaged with said pintle-rod, and with thumb-piece extensions, the presser-tips 1O pivotally connected with the acting ends of said presserfingers, and the independently-acting springs 11 acting upon said fingers, substantially as described.

JULIUS J. NEUMANN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, FREDERICK O. GooDwrN. 

